Protective covering for tooth-brushes.



L. L. MARX. PROTECTIVE COVERING FOR TOOTH BRUSHES.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 14, 1911.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912 81mm 1140 r00.

Jean 1:.

Flt).

Lncn L. Menu, or satin-non, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'ro AUGUST A. swavzn, or MONROE, LOUISIANA.

PEFLG'EECTIVE COVERING FOR TOOTH-BRUSHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 115, 1912.

Improvements in Protective Coverings for Tooth-Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to protective coverings for tooth brushes and other similar small brushes, such as nail brushes and the like, and it has for its object to produce a. simple, neat and eflicient covering which may be readily applied or detached withoutpossibility of injuring the bristles.

it further object of the invention is to produce a device of the character described having an absorbent lining which may be quickly replaced with a fresh one ata trifling expense.

"ith these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will he hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out ,in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a. simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

but that changes, alterations'and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing -Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device applied to a tooth brush. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the device open for the reception of the brush. Fig. is a longitudinal sectionalview of the device as shown in Fig. 1 applied to a tooth brush. Fig. 4 is a-trans verse sectional view taken on the line 4l in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by, like characters of reference.

T he improved protecting device consists of a small oblong casing A, of suitable shape and dimensions to accommodate the head of the brush in connection with which it is intended to be used. Said casing, which may be constructed of sheet metal, celluloid,

- hard rubber or any other suitable'material,

is longitudinally divided to form two similgrly shaped halves or members 1, 1 which are connected together at their rear edges by a hinge 2. The members 1, 1, when folded or closed together, may be connected by means of a clasp 3 hingedly connected i with one of the members and adapted to engage a stud or button 4: upon the other member. A spring clasp of ordinary construction may be substituted for the hingedly supported clasp 3, if desired. The side members 1, 1 are provided adjacent to their outer or front edges with inturned flanges 5 adapted to receive the edges of a small sheet of blotting paper 5, or other porous material, which may be thereby retained in position within the casing, said sheet lying adjacent to the inner faces of the members 1, 1.

The side members 1, 1. are provided with end walls 6 and 7 of which those numbered 6 will for convenience be described as being located at the upper end, and those numbored 7 at the lower end. The end walls 6 at the upper end of the casing are provided with notches 8 for the passage of the handle of the toothbrush. Semi-circular flanges 9, secured upon and extending upwardly from the upper end walls 6, slightly spaced from and concentric with the notches '8, are provided at their upper ends with inturned lips 10 serving to retain in position bits of sponge or other absorbent material 11 which are placed adjacent tofthe inn'er faces of the flanges 9, said bits of absorbent material being retained between the lips 10 and the outer faces of the end walls 6. The'front or outer edges of the flanges 9 are preferably made to aline with the front edges of the side members of the casing, and said flanges, when the casing is closed, will cooperate to form a neck portion that will engage a portion of the handle of the brush, the head of which is accommodated within the casing, and assuming that the bristles of the brush are wet when placed within the casing, the absorbent material 11 will take up any moisture running along the handle. Mdisture contained in the bristles will also be absorbed by the absorbent sheet 5 within the casing.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, I haveprovided a very simple and inexpensive protective covering for tooth brushes and the like which is not only of such a nature that it will protect the bristles of the brush from dust and other impurities and from being broken or injured if the brush should be packed-with other toilet articles, but said protecting device will also protect other articles that may be packed along with the brush from injury in case the bristles should be wet. The device 1s also absolutely clean and sanitary, and the absorbent sheet 5, as well as the bits of sponge or other absorbent material 11, may be removed as often as may be required.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A tooth brush cover consisting of a casing having hingcdly connected side members provided with notched end walls, semieylindrical flanges on said end walls adjacent to the notches and having terminal lips, and absorbent material confined between the end walls and the lipped flanges to engage the handle of the brush, the notches of the end walls being disposed opposite each other to engage the brush handle when the casing is closed.

2. A tooth brush cover consisting of a casing comprising hingedly connected containing members provided on their free sides with inturnedflanges, and a sheet of absorbent material engaged and retained by said flanges and covering the interior of said members.

3. A tooth brush cover consisting of a casing comprising hingedly connected containing members provided at their free side edges with inturned flanges, said side members having end walls provided with notches, lipped flanges adjacent to said notches and combining to constitute a neck engaging the handle of the brush, bits of absorbent material Within said neck, and a sheet of absorbent material within the casing having its side edges engaged and retained by the intnrned flanges, and means for connecting the free edges of the side members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LEON L. MARX.

Witnesses J. H. SANDERS, J. T. FOLMAR. 

